Cleveland Indians: Who’s Hot, Who’s Not In Spring Training
By Joe Russo
There is plenty to like about the Cleveland Indians in spring training. That said, there are also players who have to pick up their play.
Between Michael Brantley‘s injury, Abraham Almonte‘s suspension, and plenty of new faces, spring training in Goodyear, Arizona has already brought Cleveland Indians fans lots of questions and few answers. With opening day now less than a month away, some players have started to separate themselves in position battles while others have fallen flat in their tune-ups for April 4th.
Who’s Heating it Up in Goodyear?
Tyler Naquin, who has long been a favorite of this particular FoS writer, has been raking all spring. He looks like the odds-on favorite to break camp as the starting center fielder. All he has done is hit .467 with seven hits in 15 at-bats, one double, and one triple.
Naquin’s defense has never been in question, but it looks like his bat is starting to catch up to his glove. If Naquin keeps hitting, he won’t just start the year in center field, he might just stay there.
Carlos Santana, who some at FoS think could solve the Indians’ problems at the lead-off spot, has also been hitting well in camp. He’s gone four for 10, including a moon-shot of a home run in his very first at-bat of the spring.
Santana has always been able to get on base and with Mike Napoli in Cleveland, there are true alternatives to Santana at first and at DH. He needs to hit well to avoid the criticism many lobbed his way in the offseason. Starting the year hitting .400 with demonstratively more pop will go a long way.
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Apparently no one told Giovanny Urshela that the front office signed his replacement at third base. Urshela has four hits in 11 at bats with a team high 5 RBI this spring. Uribe will undoubtedly start the season at third, but Urshela’s going to make it very difficult for Terry Francona to ignore him down in AAA Columbus.
Corey Kluber has already looked like a man on a mission this spring. Kluber has not given up a run, while accumulating three strikeouts. Kluber may not be sure if he’s the Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day starter, but he’s still the odds-on favorite to take the hill on April 4th. That is how you put an AL high in losses behind you.
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Who’s Struggling in the Arizona Heat?
Jason Kipnis has carried over his second half slide into 2016’s spring training. He has only one hit in nine at-bats. It’s only spring training, yes, but .241 in August, .233 in September, and now .111 in the spring? It is an ugly slide for the former all-star.
Another presumed Cleveland Indians starter in Lonnie Chisenhall is also scuffling in camp. Chisenhall also has only one hit thus far and has only gotten on base that one time.
It could be nothing, but Chisenhall hasn’t exactly been a pillar of consistency over the course of his career. Any signs of struggle could make Cleveland Indians fans uneasy about Chisenhall being able to repeat his surge after moving to the right field.
As for new faces, Rajai Davis is making Cleveland Indians fans hope for a faster than expected recovery for Brantley. Davis is only 1-12 with five strikeouts in spring training. For a player that was considered a major addition in the offseason, a robust .083 batting average is not what Tribe fans signed up for.
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Starters Trevor Bauer and T.J. House have struggled with ERA’s around 5.00, but Bryan Shaw has been absolutely dreadful. In only 1 2/3 innings, Shaw has given up five earned runs for a 27.00 ERA. Shaw is expected to carry the same workload as last year, so let’s hope this is just one bad stretch and the Cleveland Indians start rounding into form.